WHITE-TAILED DEER (Odocoileus virginianus ) Georgia Department of Natural Resources Wildlife Resources Division
WHITE-TAILED DEER (Odocoileus virginianus)
Georgia Department of Natural Resources
Wildlife Resources Division
Range
Most of North and Central America
Northern Parts of South America
Deer FamilyUngulate (hoofed)
Cloven (two-piece hoof)
Weight 70 to 250 lbs.
Reddish brown and white coat during summer months
Grayish brown and white coat during winter months
Fawns are spotted
Appearance
Bucks are larger in size
Bucks have antlers Antlers are shed and
re-grown annually
Reproduction
Breeding season October to January
Gestation period 200 days
Fawns born between May and August
Habits
Home range is approximately 1-square mile
Deer are most active at dawn and dusk (crepuscular)
Deer prefer a habitat where there are lots of different kinds of plants to eat.
GA PHYS REGIONS
Farm crops are a major source of deer food
American History
Used extensively by native Americans and early settlers for both food and clothing
American History
It is estimated that by the early l900s there were only 500,000 deer left in all the United States
Less than 1,000 deer could be found in Georgia atthis time
1928 First Deer Stocked In Ga. 1927 Arthur Woody
buys 5 fawns from Pisgah Game Preserve in NC
1928 Nimble, Billy, Nancy, Bessie & Bunnie Girl released
1929 two dozen more fawns bought, held in pen, then released
Blue Ridge WMA…1940
In 1953,
33,000 deer were estimated living in Georgia
In 1965,
125,000 deer were estimated living in Georgia!
Statewide Pop Estimates
S t a t e w i d e P r e h u n t M i n i m u m P o p u l a t i o n E s t i m a t e s
1 9 7 8 – 2 0 0 4
0
200,000
400,000
600,000
800,000
1,000,000
1,200,000
1,400,000
1978 1981 1984 1987 1990 1993 1996 1999 2002
Numb
er of
Dee
r
0
10
20
30
40
50
Deer
/SqM
i
Adult Male Adult Female Fawn Deer/SqMi
Georgia Deer Management
Land acquisition to preserve habitat
Deer Management = Habitat Management
Thinning Prescribed Fire
Retain Mast Producing Trees
Irregular Cuts
Georgia Deer Management
Wildlife Openings or
Food plots
Georgia Deer Management
Hunting
Georgia Deer Management
Law enforcement to protect management efforts
Future Deer Management Challenges
High Protein, Low Fat Meat
Family Tradition
Georgia Department of Natural Resources
Wildlife Resources Division
www.georgiawildlife.com